23 October 2018

23 October 2018

A Traitor in our Midst!

Ever since the TriHards had formed, there had been an unwritten rule: we would always aim for the top of the bottom-third of the race. We have held that territory in the results for many, many years. And now that convention has been broken, by none other than the Cyborg himself! And it’s time for him to face the consequences of his actions...

20 November

20 November 2017

The Fling has Flung

For the past 13 years the residents of the sleepy little southern highlands town of Bundanoon have had little idea that they have played host to the one of the most popular S & M parties in Australia, for surely the Highland Fling is one of the greatest gatherings of masochists in the southern hemisphere. They’re just all in disguise, replacing their leather with lycra, and ball-gags with bite valves. But the pain is the same. And, grinning over it all is the sniggering sadist himself, Huw Kingston, pouring salt on the wounds with extra painful treats, such as bagpipes in the morning or cavorting around in a skirt. Alas, 2017 marked the last running of the Fling, and we many masochists will have to find our pain elsewhere - perhaps I’ll take up some of the many options for pain around Canberra, such as hanging out in the public gallery during Question Time.

19 May 2017

19 May 2017

The Cyborg Celebrates

Generally speaking, birthdays are a time of celebration. A time to perhaps relax, be spoiled, eat cake, drink and be merry. Unless there’s something seriously wrong with you; then you might jump in a car and drive over 1,000km to ride around in circles all night.

19 May 2017

19 May 2017

A Tale of Two Sequels

A good sequel is a hard thing to pull off. All too often they just seem like a tawdry, money-grabbing exercise, cashing in on the surprise popularity of the original. So, when Guardians of the Galaxy 2 was released in April, the TriHards raced out to see it with great excitement. This feeling was bolstered by the fact that one of the TriHards, McFly had a hand in the creation of this new masterpiece, which certainly didn’t disappoint (though, it did nearly result in whiplash as the viewers attempted to spot his name flying by in the credits!) Guardians two built on the story started in one, fleshing out characters and relationships, without losing any of the original humour or charm – it’s well worth a watch.

But there was another sequel in April which the TriHards were looking forward to even more; a sequel which would see the long-awaited return of characters introduced in previous events – delivering more of the fun, mystery and excitement of its predecessor. It was the second running of the Urban Polaris under the new management of the National Heritage Trust. And this sequel certainly didn’t disappoint!

9 May 2017

9 May 2017

Rides with Women

I should probably start by saying I am not a lady. I am not a girl, nor a woman. I am not female at all. And, as a middle-aged white man, this has never really been a problem for me. I have never really had the desire to walk in the other’s shoes, or heels. Not until I hung out at the Dirt de Femme.

Over the past three years, either through misfortune or misadventure, the Cyborg has repeatedly failed to achieve even the first of these three goals. But all that changed in Spring of 2016 when, amongst other things, the latest TriHards coupling were considerate enough to book their wedding on a date not shared by any other event (though, in reality, Engine and Gearbox do so many events, it was probably their only free weekend). And, in the time leading up, the Cyborg had wrapped himself in cotton-wool to ensure he received no injury in the lead up. Well, you know, except for taking on the Bundy Run and the Fling.

But, at around 3:00pm on 25 November 2016, the Cyborg made TriHards history: when he achieved the first goal: he finally made it to the start of the Snowies Mountain Bike Festival.

3 December 2016

3 December 2016

Double the Fun!

During a CORC club ride a few years ago, I mentioned I was aiming to do the Highland Fling. The very experienced ride leader congratulated me, informing me that the Fling is one of the hardest marathon mountain bike races on offer in Australia. And, after my efforts last year, I’m inclined to agree! But that’s the Full Fling. This year I did the Half Fling which, while it has a lot less single-track (yet, somehow, it felt like there were a very similar number of hills) – It was a whole lot of fun, as opposed to the challenge of the Full Fling. It’s almost as though they’re two completely different races.

3 December 2016

3 December 2016

Cyborg gets some photos.

I completed the inaugural Bundy Run in 2015. And by that, I mean I completed the entire course, and took some crappy pictures along the way (in my defence, it was a very damp and misty day). But my time was pretty rubbish (again, in my defence, it is quite a technical course) and I walked a lot of it. Put simply, I felt like the Bundy Run and I still had unfinished business. And in some places I grew up, leaving an unfinished Bundy is sacrilege. Besides, this time I knew what I was in for...

There are a lot of race reports on this site. Like, heaps, and heaps. They cover adventure races, marathon mountain bike rides, runs, hikes, walks, you name it. But they (hopefully) all have one thing in common: thanking the volunteers at the end because, without volunteers, none of these races would happen. Races, even local club races, take a lot of time and effort to set up, from course planning and marking, through to all the admin work and timing (to determine who really did win that sheep station). If organisers had to pay for that time and effort, well the events would be too expensive for the average punter to enter.